Judge Elizabeth S. Morris
Court: Supreme Court, Family Division
Location: Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Judge Elizabeth Morris, a politically connected Republican judge once hailed as a rising star in Maryland’s judiciary, now finds herself at the center of controversy in the Hornbeck v. Reichert custody battle. After being assigned the case following Judge Alison Asti’s retirement, Morris continued the same pattern of judicial suppression and procedural stonewalling that left father Jeffrey Reichert alienated from his son. Morris has allowed hearings properly filed in Baltimore County to be rerouted back to Anne Arundel without explanation, refused to allow remote access for a disabled father living in crisis, and issued rulings based on letters submitted by a third party—John Michel—who holds no legal standing in the matter. In doing so, Morris turned hearsay into court order, bypassing due process entirely.
Critics argue that Judge Morris, despite her credentials and background, is using her discretion to appease the same political and legal network that has worked against Reichert since the beginning. Reichert alleges that her decisions reflect personal ambition over judicial duty, with aspirations for higher judicial appointment trumping the ethical obligation to ensure fairness and transparency. Even while allegedly acknowledging the father’s positive role, she has issued orders that further obstruct the reunification of a parent and child—effectively validating false narratives and empowering those with influence. In a courtroom where opinion has replaced law, Judge Elizabeth Morris has become another face of Maryland’s deepening family court crisis.
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